Sunday, December 19, 2010

The 5th annual race was a great success despite ominous weather forecasts for strong winds and 70% chance of some type of precipitation. I had 137 runners entering up until the day before the race and 103 showed up. The weather was blustery at times, the sun even came out briefly, and the snow/rain/hail/sleet held off until about 5 hours into the event. Everyone returned safe and my stress level dropped a notch. I had decided to offer beanies to race participants and they were a big hit. Seemed appropriate to give something that helped keep runners warm. Nice alternative to a T-shirt I was told.

Matt Hagen 40th B-day doing I don't know what and Terri Thomas

Each year, it gets harder and harder to put on my two races. For one thing, they are only a month apart. Updating race info is a drag. Seems like a simple thing to do, but I really don't spend that much time on the computer, and when I do, I consider it a waste of precious time that I could be doing something else. I changed jobs halfway through the year and my schedule became more hectic. I got a job closer to home but the patient load is heavier and my days (which went from 4 to 5 days a week) are longer. So trying to keep up my race and training schedule while putting on 2 races in the winter has been very challenging. Seeing people come to my race, I have to to say, is rewarding. I hope to be able to offer them for 10 years before handing them off to someone else.

Candice Burt and Genia Kacey (2nd and 1st females in 50K)

There were some glitches before race day, including one involving my beanies. I really liked the pig on the front but thought I had also asked for them to embroider "Pigtails Run 2010" on the back. Somewhere along the line, this was miscommunicated. I had considered just leaving it alone and accepting it but really wanted to have my logo. Unfortunately, I received my beanies a week before the race and did not have time to send them back to be fixed. My friend Mary Hanna contacted her friend for me in Maple Valley who did embroidery. She could not take on the job but did give me three places that might. I called them all the Monday of race week between my surgical cases and chose the least expensive one. They were all very busy with holiday orders but agreed to fit me in. My husband Ken was able to drop the beanies off while I was at work. They said they could have them done by Friday but actually finished them Wednesday and he picked them up for me while I was at work again. That was very helpful! I was pleased with they way they turned out and glad I decided to have it done despite the extra cost.

Christel Elliott 1st female marathon

The other thing that was challenging were my medals. I have had to come up with a different design each year for my homemade medals and it is getting harder. This year, I was able to find pink poker chips and thought it would be easy to make them in a short period of time. The first part was kinda easy. I just had to find a stamp on-line of a pig that was small enough to fit on the poker chip. That was a little challenging but I did find a cute flying pig that just barely fit. I got some permanent ink and wrote on the back "Pigtails 2010." The next part was harder than I thought it would be. I needed to drill a hole for a string. Ken did the first one to find the appropriate drill bit to use. Turned out it was not plastice all the way through. There was metal in the middle to give weight to the chips. So a 30 minute job to drill 130 holes in what I thought were plastic chips all the way through turned into 2-3 hours of drilling the holes and cleaning the metal shavings off. Ken did set a jig to make it easier to drill the whole in the same spot for each medal. Finally, I tied the strings on, at times with a headlamp since our power went out twice in the last 2 weeks. Brought back memories of my first year making medals under candlelight when a severe windstorm left us without power for 4-5 days.

Trailhead at Landsburg of beautiful Cedar River Trail

The last thing that made this race stressful was the high wind watch that was issued for the Cascade Foothills, which includes this race, where 30-40mph winds with gusts up to 65mph were expected to peak Friday night into Saturday morning. I sent out a frantic e-mail asking runners what they think I should do. Most runners wanted the race to happen since my reschedule dates were not appealing and they had other plans for the rest of the weekend. I decided to proceed with the race and hope for the best. I had taken Friday off to prepare for the race. Unfortunately, my office party was to start in the afternoon. I still had so much to do! I finished making medals, loaded the car, returned e-mails (sorry to those whose messages went to my junk mail), marked the first turn around, and marked the aid stations.

Great volunteers Bret Bellevue and Sharon Hendricks

I got to the office party over 2 hours late but arrived in time to still eat and socialize. After getting home, I did some last minute loading of the car. I went to bed at a decent hour but the winds picked up and were howling all night, sending large branches crashing down on our house, truck, and property. No damage was noted on our buildings but Ken's Ford truck got a dent on the top of the cab. Needless to say, I did not get much sleep, worrying about possible damage and also about race day. Our power went out overnight and I did not get to send out one final message that my race was still on.

Bill Barmore and Rikki Bogue

We awoke at 4am. Ken made some coffee on the camp stove and we had oatmeal for breakfast. We headed out but had to stop 3 times to get out of our cars and pick up large branches in our driveway and the short gravel road that got us out to the main paved road. Then we just weaved back and forth avoiding branches without having to get out again. About half a mile from the start, a large tree spanned the road and there was no getting around it without breaking branches off the end so that we could squeeze by on the side. As we pulled into the parking lot, we were amazed to see that two of my wonderful volunteers had already arrived and pretty much set up. Jerry arrived at 4:30am and had set up his two tents. He had brought his camper, which served as a dry and very warm area for any cold bodies. It also acted as a buffer for the wind as well, which was still gusting strong enough that we grabbed onto the poles to keep it from shaking so much. Jerry had already pounded in some stakes to keep them from blowing away. Between Jerry and Bret, the tables were all set up, propane heaters were running, and propane lamps lit up the dark parking lot, making it look like a city. Ken and I were very impressed!

Always cheerful volunteer Jess Mullen (and amazing Cross-Fit coach!)

The rest of my volunteers arrived and after unloading my stuff, we ran out of things to do. So Jess Mullen, Gwen Scott, Sharon Hendricks, and I went to make sure the cone that I had left the day before at the turnaround on the powerline trail was still there. We picked up branches off the trail on our way. The cone and my flour line were still there. Gwen placed a bunch of big branches across the road as one last assurance that runners would not run past this point. When we got back, runners were just arriving. We checked runners in and handed out beanies. It was nice to have extra hands there to give out race bibs, receive food donations, and check off runners. Before I knew it, it was 10 til 8am. Anthony, who works for King County Parks arrived to check in on us. He had spent the previous day clearing the trail for the race (before the windstorm hit). Now there was another big mess. So he took off 10 minutes before the runners in attempts to clear the trail again. He did a great job according the runners. Trees that they had to hurdle or go around on the way out were cleared for the trip back. Thanks Anthony!

Jill Hudson and Linda Walter

We walked over to the power line trail and I gave my race briefing with my squeaky voice. I told them that it was 1/2 a mile on this trail before turning around and going back to the main trail for the rest of the race. Unfortunately, Paul Huynh didn't register this. He took off like a gazelle and ran past the cone, flour line, and around the branches over the road according to reports from other runners. He was apparently too far gone for anyone to call him back or chase after him. When the runners ran past the start, one of them told me that someone kept going and my stress meter went up. WHAT?! How can that be? If he was moving that fast, it would be hard to catch him now. More than 10 minutes had gone by. Gwen, who is very speedy herself, had running shoes on. She stripped off her down coat and went after him. But he was already long gone. We were hoping that he would turn around at some point and Gwen could run back with him. John Pearch, who is a phenomenal biker now (had been a phenomenal runner until his knee pulled him out of the elite level), was able to get his bike gear on quickly, now gave chase after both Paul and Gwen. Dave Murray and I got in my beamer and drove to the two spots where the power line trail crossed paths with residential roads. We got to the first intersection and saw Gwen heading back to the start alone and John continuing on. We kept driving to the next intersection and saw John coming towards us. Just about the same time, we saw Paul running towards us as well. He appeared to know where he was headed and we surmised that he had run into someone walking out on the powerline trail who told him how to get back on the Cedar River Trail. He didn't seem to want to stop to talk and kept going but took the wrong road. We all yelled out STOP! Dave and I ran back to the car and directed him to the hidden trail that leads back onto the Cedar River Trail. I am so glad that Dave was with me because I didn't know exactly where that was. A few of the lead runners had just gone by when we deposited Paul back onto the correct course. That was a crazy start! In actuality, the trail that Paul ran was hilly compared to the flat Cedar River trail and according to Dave, who runs this trail with his cross country kids, Paul had run at least an extra 1.5 miles before getting back on the Cedar River Trail. If he had won the race, I would have had a dilemma on my hands about who to name the winner since he went off course. I'm glad I didn't have to go there.

Robert Lopez #52 for the year

Dave and I continued on to the main aid station and put up signs. Bret and Sharon were just receiving the front runners. Paul had caught and passed all the runners and kept moving along. He did not carry a water bottle or any food that we could see. They had a nice set up at this aid station. The tent had two walls. I brought the drop bags. Sharon apparently had spent quite a bit of time clearing the trail where a big tree had fallen on the trail heading up towards Lake Wilderness where the 50K runners were going to do their final out and back. Bret and Sharon were doing a fine job so Dave and I moved along. We next set up the unmanned aid station at about 11 and 16 miles. We carried two 5 gallon jugs in and set them on crates. The water was nearly all gone so that tells me I need more next time. Of course, next time, there will probably be more than enough. That's how things go. I also left a bag of Snickers and Pay Day for anyone feeling particuarly hungry or bonked. Next we marked the turnaround with a cone, flour, and a sign that said "Pigtails Run." (Apparently, there was another race/run going on and there was a turnaround that was 12.9 miles for our race that some people took. For my race, you would have had to follow the trail under a road just before the turnaround).

Cliff Richards, Tony Myrie, Emily, and Mary Hanna

Dave and I knew that Paul would be coming so as we were driving on HWY 169, we kept an eye out for him. When we saw him, John was riding along. He said he was there to make sure he saw the turnaround. We told John what to look for. Finally, we marked the 50k turnaround. We stopped by Starbucks to get some coffee and sandwiches and headed back to the finish. Jess, Gwen, Ray, and Bryan retreated to Jerry's camper and told me that it was a luxury to have that there. While cozying up inside, they could hear the wind howling outside. I'm glad they had a place to get out of the wind other than their cars. We had our coffee and lunch and started getting the soups and apple cider warmed up for the runners coming. Gwen had made vegan butternut squash soup and it was delicious! The weather continued to be ideal runner's weather. But I guess there was a decent headwind after the turnaround.

A bunch of happy runners

Finally, we saw a runner approaching and I knew right away it was Eric Sach, owner of The Balanced Athlete at the Renton Landing (nice plug). He had brought Clif Shot gels for the aid station. Thanks Eric! He looked totally unphased after running faster than his goal with a finishing time of 3:14:17. He was also first masters. Next in was Paul, who ran a speedy 3:20:10 for a 19-year-old! This kid has potential. Third male was Pedro Infante in 3:23:24. First woman was Christel Elliott in 3:49:10, her 1st win! She was followed by Sara Malcom in second with a time of 3:59:37. Sara had won the 50K last year. Third female was Heidi Perry in at 4:05:20. First female masters was Jill Langis in 4:25:00. In the 50K, Kevin Douglas and Hunter Maclean tied for first with a time of 4:13:24. Third overall and first male masters was Terry Sentinella, RD for the Skagit Valley Marathon, in 4:17:41. Genia Kacey took first for women in 4:28:32. She missed the course record of 4:26:00 by just over 2 minutes. Second female was Candice Burt with 4:39:41 and Ashley Kuhlmann was third in 5:03:05. First female masters was Mary Hanna in 5:08:05.

Terry Sentinella first masters 50k and 3rd overall

Ken went and got pizza for post race and the soups were very popular as well. Warm apple cider was consumed rapidly. Note to self-need more of that next year. The rain finally came which prompted tired legs to run for cover. Many hung around and socialized before leaving. That was nice. Jess and Gwen were lifesavers and recorded finisher's times and I kept the kitchen going. Ray handed out medals because I kept forgetting to. Thanks Ray! Bryan made the trek over to the main aid station and helped Bret until it closed down after the last runner came through for the last time. Bret had been there all day. They cleaned up and came back to the finish and continued to help there. Nearly all my volunteers stayed until just before the end. A few runners remained and Jerry and Bret stuck around until the last runner came through. Mary Hanna had gone home and showered but returned to help and see Bob Dolphin finish. She drove me out to the last 2 mile mark to make sure he had come through. We didn't see him coming so figured he was already on his way to the finish. We served him hot soup and cider at the end. His muscles were cramping but he was happy. To me, he was the toughest runner out there all day. I can't imagine running like he does at the age of 60 let alone 81! We finished packing everything into the cars. I finally said goodbye to everyone and breathed a big sigh of relief that it was over. But it doesn't end after the last runner comes through. I had to drive to the unmanned aid station and clear that as well as the turn around points. Not much to clean up but time consuming to drive to those locations. Mary was kind enough to pick up the cone and sign at the 50K turnaround since it is very near to where she lives. I took care of the rest. Came home and had to clean up the car and unload everything. Jerry had taken all the trash so I didn't have to deal with that. (He is a very handy guy to have!) I spent a lot of time cleaning the water and Gatorade jugs and washing pots with dried out soup. I dropped off the food donations during work the following week and wrote them a check for the amount that was donated on-line and on race day. They were again very appreciative since this time of year is sometimes lean for them. I was able to donate $400 in addition to the food. This was double the amount of the Lake Youngs race this year. You guys rock!

Tony Myrie and Val Beyer (all the way from St. Louis!)

Thanks again for coming out to play! Below are the final results. I can still make corrections if needed.

First Male Guillermo Medina (36) from CA with a time of 16:37:53 (CR 14:20:54 in 2009)First Female Jamie Donaldson (36) from CO with a time of 17:11:32, new CR by 27 minutes

Okay, so this was my 19th 100 mile race. Well, to be a butt about it, 5 of those race were actually more than 100 miles:

McNaughton 150 mile in 2009Pac Rim 24hr with 108 miles in 2009Pac Rim 24hr with 103 miles in 2010Pine to Palm 106 miles in 2010Javelina Jundred 101.5 miles this past weekend

I did six 100 or plus races last year and figured I could match my accomplishment with 6 more this year, which is what I did, finishing with Javelina. Now let's get one thing straight. Monica Scholz I heard is trying to get the Guiness record with 24 100 mile races this year and I think she is somewhere around her 20th race and she ran Javelina over 3 hours faster than I did, so don't go thinking I'm all that.

I decided to sign up for Javelina when my husband and I were getting constant reminders from his parents that we had not visited them for 10 years while his two younger brothers have almost annually. They have a place in Apache Junction near Phoenix, where they live for most of the year. They summer in WA from about late May to September when the AZ heat becomes unbearable and return when we have more than five days straight of rain in WA (or something like that). I would run the race over the weekend, then we would make the trip fun for Ken too with rock climbing the next three days. Our good friends Karen and George Wiggins would come down for the climbing. Karen had done Javelina a few years ago when the temps hit the mid-90s. We were lucky this year with temps topping out in the mid-80s with a couple of days of rain before the race to pack the trail down. I didn't feel the dust was an issue at all and had little trouble with my asthma.

We flew in Friday morning, had a late breakfast at a cafe, got groceries, and settled in at their place. They live in a gated park home community and we stayed in their plush 5th wheel. After a short rest, we headed to packet pick up, but not until stopping to get me an In-and-Out burger. His parents had scouted out a location for me. It was a staple during my Western States trip earlier in the year and I was delighted to find out that they had set up shop in the Phoenix area. Packet pick up was quick with no medical check required, although, with the infamous heat at this race, I was surprised. I got a nice tech shirt, duffle bag, and an ankle transponder to track my progress by webcast during the race. I said hi to many of the WA runners who made the trek as well as many other familiar faces. I bought some more Gu and dropped off my one drop bag but then we headed out. The race had PF Chang's food for the pre-race dinner and Caballo Blanco was coming for the talk. But I had already seen him in a Seattle event before, and my pre-race dinner of choice is sushi. Ken's parents had also scouted out a restaurant, which was very good.

After laying out all my pre-race clothing, Ken and I retired at about 8:30. My sleep before leaving for AZ was fitful because we had to catch a 7:30am flight. My sleep the night before the race was also choppy, as expected in an unfamiliar place. So I was kinda tired going into the race. Because the race had grown to about 300 runners, parking was off-site at the start and racers that had crew had to be dropped off. After the race started, crew could come to park on a first-come-first-serve basis. If crew wanted to see their runner start, they needed to park off-site and take a shuttle in just for the start. Ken and I decided that he didn't really need to see me head off onto the trail, so he waited for 6am and headed for the start/finish area and had no trouble finding a parking spot. I kissed him goodbye when he dropped me off and milled around nervously for about 45 minutes. I saw Jill Hudson, Linda Walter, and Marilou Russell, all gunning for their first 100 miler. Gunhild Swanson was back, after having set a female 60-69 CR in 2004 with an amazing time of 22:37:46. All these ladies are from WA. My first goal as always is to finish. My next goal was sub-24. Sub-24 would also mean not having to run in the heat again on the second day. Lord knows I don't get any heat training in the Pacific NW. In fact, the weekend before the race, we had temps in the low 30s. That combined with virtually no running during the week because of my job and having done five 100 milers already this year (3 in the summer) made me feel less than optimal for this race. That's a scary prospect for any 100 miler. Experience was my only comfort.

We started at 6am sharp before sunrise on a full moon weekend. The website said not to forget a light, but I didn't need it at all and wished I had not brought it. I didn't want to wear it on my head because it made me feel even hotter in addition to my cap so I wrapped the band around my wrist. A few miles later, I noticed that all the batteries had fallen out. I tried to look for them on the return trip, but someone must have picked them up or they rolled under a bush. I started with arm warmers from Western, gloves, and a tank top that good friend Gwen Scott had given me-a playful bright red and orange Go-Go girl energy drink top. The sunrise was spectacular and the trail too runnable. It was wide enough for two people to run side by side, few areas single file, and many areas 4-wide. I ran in the beginning with Melissa Williams, a gal I met at her first ultra at the Doppler 50K in Bremerton. She had just moved to Portland from Phoenix back then and was freezing cold. It had snowed the night before, so her clothing was understandable. But quickly, most of us PNW runners were shedding layers and she kept all her clothes on. She did finally get acclimated to the cooler weather but had just spent 2 weeks in Vietnam. This acclimated her well for Javelina, but she was experiencing a bit of travel fatigue and jet lag. Being 28 probably allowed her to overcome this short period of fatigue, as she went on to finish in an excellent time of 22:36:32, the only 20-29 female finisher of 8 starters. This was Melissa's 3rd 100, with her first one at Hundred in the Hood last year and her 2nd just 5 weeks ago at Pine to Palm.

I also had the chance to meet up with another gal whom I met a the 2006 Tahoe Triple, Deborah Hamberlin. That year, she won the female overall Tahoe Triple and I came in second in the first year I ran 51 races or more. She won the first 2 races and I won the 3rd race of the triplers. She lives in Phoenix and trains on this Pemberton trail a lot. She had recently won the 12 hour run here in February but this was to be her first 100. She looked very fit. My goal for the first loop (each loop is 15.4 miles and reversed each time) was 3:10ish. I came in around 2:47. Uh-oh. Waaaaay too fast. I got caught up talking to Melissa and Deborah and failed to pace myself. But in truth, I didn't think we were running all that fast. I was hydrating with Nuun and taking salt tablets, but again, as in my last three 100 milers, my legs felt tight and crampy after the first 10 miles. I had tried taking magnesium supplements on a daily basis, but they gave me diarrhea and I stopped that. The best thing I could figure is that I need more salt than the average runner and that I tend to overhydrate too early. Still, I figured that I was in heat country and my body was going to suffer if I didn't stay on top of drinking.

Each loop is 15.4 miles and alternates directions with the first one clockwise. They can be broken up in 3 sections, with about 5 miles in between the aid stations. The first 5 miles starts with a short section of rolling before crossing a road. It continues to be rolling for the first 2 miles with a few "washes," which apparently is usually a pain to run across because they get sandy, but the rain had packed them down and were easier to get through. Then there is about 1.5 miles of up climbing on more technical trail, at some spots with large rocks that are energy sapping if you try to run them. The trail after this rocky section is more runnable but continuously slightly uphill and became harder to run in the later loops in the heat. There were a few more washes before the first aid station at Coyote Camp (about 5.2 miles). The aid stations were great, well stocked, had very helpful volunteers who were mostly ultrarunners and some having run this race before, and liberal with the ice! The next section dipped in and out of sandy washes at a steeper pitch for about 3 miles before leveling out through more gentle washes for another 2 miles. The next aid station at Jackass Junction was about 10.4 miles and had a port-a-potty (very important later!). Finally, the last 5 miles of the loop were generally downhill. The first part of this section was a wider trail/forest road for 3 miles before becoming trail through more washes. There was a road crossing 1.5 miles until the end of the loop, important mental checks.

Ken was there at the end of the first loop and he helped me transition into the 2nd loop. I ditched my cap because it was making me claustrophobic and hotter. I like the wind blowing over my forehead. I put on sunglasses and kept them on until the sun went down. I noticed that many other runners did the same and stuck with just sunglasses. There is absolutely no shade on the course except for the aid stations. I dropped my arm warmers, gloves, and my tank top and now was down to just shorts and sports bra. I was running in compression calf sleeves, but they were white and didn't make me feel too hot. My non-mesh Montrail Vitesse and Dirty Girl Gaiters kept out the sand and dirt. I carried one water bottle and stuffed Gu into it's pockets and into my Race Ready shorts along with TP and salt tabs. I had my music also. I had applied sunscreen before the start. I fiiled my bottle with more Nuun and was good to go. I thanked Ken and gave him a peck on the cheek and used the bathroom before taking off.

I am a huge hydration pack runner because I feel more secure carrying a lot of stuff, but for this race, I didn't want anything on my back making me hotter. It was very liberating. Because I was thinking that I was a little hyponatremic, I backed off on gulping down even the Nuun (I still took sips) and kept taking salt capsules. I did start to feel better, but it was getting hotter and hotter for my comfort. I backed off on my pace and my second loop was over 3 1/2 hrs. The climb back up the 5 miles we had just run down at the end of the first loop was painful and seemed to take forever. It was nice, however, to use different muscles throughout the loop, but let me tell you, it's been a long time since I've run a 100 miler where my legs hurt the entire time. Okay, maybe they felt fine for the first 10 miles before the sun started shining above us, but the rest of the time, my muscles just hurt. It was that lactic acid feeling of heaviness, burning, and on the edge of cramping. Each pounding step I took whether it was running, power hiking, or walking felt like rhabdo was occuring in my legs. I could almost feel at the microscopic level my muscles cells tearing and breaking down and muscle enzymes leaking out into the interspaces of my soft tissues. I've had a similar feeling before, but it is intensified by the direct suntlight and heat. Although Western was hotter, at least most of the trail was in the shade and that made a world of difference for me.

And so the terrain kept repeating itself. It was reassuring that it is a beautiful course. Very enjoyable I'm sure to run in for 2 loops. Multi-loop courses are tough. I'm not talking about running around a track. That's a totally different animal. I'm talking about longer loops, where it will be a while before you get back to your crew. Like at McNaughton 10 mile loops, Lumberjack 12.5 mile loops, this race, Umstead (which I have never run) 12.5 mile loops, etc. It's hard not to quit. It's hard heading back out knowing what is in store for you, how long it took you that last time, and knowing that you have 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 more loops to go. When you think in those terms, it is very overwhelming. So I just tried to focus on one aid station at a time, which is still hard because you start focuisng on other things. Like, oh, this section has that 5 mile uphill, or this section has that really rocky section. No wonder we're all headcases. Ken had called his parents after the 2nd loop and told them about how long it was taking me and they showed up to see me come in at the end of my 3rd loop. I waved to them as I was heading out, and to them I probably was looking good but I felt like crap. I gave them a nice show by running up and down the little hills but as soon as they were out of site, I walked.

Before I forget, there was a costume contest going on. Last year, the race actually was held on Jalloween. There were still plenty of people dressed up this year. There was full on Spiderman suit, of course Elvis, Pippi Longstocking (2), devils, angels, Bavarian costumes, cowboys, a guy wearing an all black body suit with his face painted white, and so much more! I can't imagine wearing a costume for 100 miles in the heat! Also, there was a lot of prickly things next to the trail. One of them, the choya, apparently requires pliers to remove since the thorns have barbs on them. That sounds painful! Luckily, I didn't impale myself onto anything.

I switched to ice-water so that I could douse myself and wrapped a bandana around my neck with ice in it. I continued to sip the water to wet my mouth and also because it tasted to good! I increased my salt intake, which was about 6 Succeeds an hour. Is that too much??? I don't know. I didn't die, so I think it was okay. I was urinating and it was not bloody. In fact, it was clear and about every 1/2 hour, telling me, I think, that I was still overhyrated and hyponatremic. At the aid stations I was asking for Coke with ice in it and was it yummy! I don't think I have ever drank so much Coke! I must have drank over two liters! But it was the one thing that I didn't get sick of. In fact, I would have put it in my water bottle, but I wanted water instead to pour on me. And I didn't want to carry another bottle. I ate gels, and found I really liked the Grape-Pomegranate flavored Carb Boom. I ate bananas at some aid stations, when I thought about it. When sub sandwiches became available, I wound just eat some of the meat and gave Ken the rest. Watermelons and oranges were tasting good. I had hot cocoa and chicken ramen at night in addition to my ice cold Coke. I had a hard time eating solid foods, probably due to the heat and feeling totally baked. I never was able to cool down. While everyone was putting all their clothes on at night, I was still running with just my sports bra or tank top, although I did bring along my shell, gloves, and a headband in case I really slowed down and would freeze. But I never used them and they were heavy to carry. Somehow I lost one of my Western arm sleeves. I did put on a waist pack at night so thatI could carry all this stuff and have my hands free for eating and carrying my flashlight, which I prefer to a headlamp.

My loop splits were getting longer and longer. I had completed almost four loops before I needed to use a flashlight. It was getting hard to tell who was who. I had seen Jill, Linda, and Marilou in the first 3 loops together, but couldn't see them again until it got light. For all I knew, they had decided to drop down to the 100K. Plus they split up, and I was looking for a group of three ladies. But Linda and Marilou did go the distance, and I think Jill finished the 100K. I was a little worried about them all since I was surprised to see them not long after I completed a loop. I was moving a little slower than I would have like, but I was worried that we still had over 50 miles to go after the 3rd loop and this was their first 100 miler. Just goes to show you how tough they are. Maybe they tolerated the heat better than me. I should have gone out conservatively with Gunhild because she caught me by the end of the 3rd loop. Not surprising. Impressive. I just can't tell you how phenomenal she is to be able to do this at the age of 66 and not looking like she is suffering at all. I tried to keep up with her but I couldn't and decided I needed to run my own pace.

So I finished 100K in the dark. I had hoped my pace would quicken as I cooled down, but darkness kept that at bay. Many runners picked up their pacers. I didn't have one and didn't want one. After treating my last pacer at Pine to Palm like crap, I decided I didn't want to be that person and didn't even bother looking for one. It was pretty scary though in certain sections of the loop where packs of coyotes were howling and I found myself totally alone on one occasion, which is crazy considering the number of runners who started and the back and forth format of the course. It could have been that many had dropped out by then. The next few times there were runners around and I felt safer. But I did pick up my pace that one time, and that always comes to bite you later.

Gunhild's son joined her. I ran with her a little in the 5th loop but I think she was getting cold and I passed her. I kept going back and forth with the same people. My fifth loop was one of my faster loops for that far into the race and running at night. Apparently, I had moved up 35 spots at the end of that loop. However, the wheels started coming off during that loop. I was running along pretty strong after passing Gunhild and not hurting anymore than what I had become accustomed to. I was approaching Jackass aid station and could hear music. So I thought I was getting closer but in reality still had almost almost 2 miles to go. It gets harder and harder to judge your pace as the race goes on and you are always moving slower than what you think is slow. So sometimes as I am approaching an aid station, I pick up my pace. I did this and the aid station was not coming. I kept pushing it until my left quad started to scream and I had to slow to a walk coming into the aid station. The music was coming from a house, which in this section of the trail gets near a residential area. So this pick me up and the one I did when I heard the coyotes probably set me back quite a bit. And the next section was downhill, which only added to injury my sore left quad. I ran on this for the next 30 miles, at times hobbling and having to adjust my gait, taxing my other quad. As bad as I felt, I saw some sorrier faces at the aid stations all bundled up and glued to a chair. I knew I was just traumtizing my quad, not permanently injuring it, so I kept going. I actually came into the aid station at the end of loop 5 telling Ken that I needed to get moving if I had any chance of breaking 24 hours. It would be skin tight if I did. I had 5 hours and 50 minutes. If I could somehow manage to match my 6th loop time to my 5th loop, I would have a chance. It became very clear after starting the 6th loop that it wasn't going to happen. I felt bad for telling Ken about this lofty goal, since I knew he would worry about me when I didn't show up long after expected.

My last full loop, #6, was very slow. Something like 4 1/2 hrs. The climb up that 5 mile hill was demoralizing and endless. Although I passed some people, it wasn't because I was moving great, it was because they were done too. I decided that I needed to just keep moving and not push myself. My 24-hr goal was out the window, so I told myself to get over it. At the same time, I was not about to walk the rest of the race (20 miles) or else I would be out there forever and at risk for running/waddling in the sun. So I ran the downhills and some of the flats and walked the ups. I finally made it back to Ken and headed out for the final 9 miles. We were given a glow necklace to signify that we were on that last 9 mile section so that the aid station volunteers at Coyote Camp knew which way to direct the runners. Clever idea. It was not uncomfortable and I liked being lit up. Plus everyone knew that you were on the homestretch. I grabbed Gu for food but nothing else and soon learned this was a mistake. I had not been able to tolerate solid food all day and this was catching up with me. But for the first time ever, I could not tolerate the Gu. I gagged on it and almost threw up. I immediately took two Tums. I had no Ginger candy with me. I had to slow down. I had run into Amy Lynes earlier and she had 3 miles to go for her 100K finish. But she was vomiting and trying to run and I told her she needed to slow down. She had plenty of time to finish so there was no reason for her to push it and make her nausea worse. Now it was happening to me. So I took my own advice and walked when I thought I should be running. The hills were coming anyway and I was planning on walking those. I tried putting Gu into my water and shaking it up. I drank a little but was not enjyoing it and certainly didn't drink it all. I did ask everyone that I ran into if they had any food besides Gu. I got a no answer from 5 people until one of the pacers of a runner that was passing me gave me his peanut M & Ms. That saved me until I got to the aid station.

I got to experience another beautiful sunrise, the only good thing about not making the 24-hr cut off. I saw lots of little lizards during the race and saw a coyote run across the trail on the second sunrise. Apparently, Marilou saw tarantulas, rattlesnakes, coyotes, mice, and even a Javelina. I can't believe that! Were we in the same race? Finally I got to the aid station, the last one before the finish and less than 5 miles to go. I decided I wanted Coke in my water bottle. Unfortunately, it had not been de-fizzed yet and when I went to drink it the first time, it blew up in my mouth and I choked on it. Still, it helped to sip on it and keep my nausea at bay. I had an oreo cookie, but that was all I had before finishing. Although my quads were trashed and the bottoms of my feet felt severely bruised, I ran that last 4+ miles. It was a gentle down hill for 3+ miles before meeting up with the same trail we had been running all day to the end of the loop for 1.1 miles. This last bit was rolling and I knew what to expect. I passed that last guy that passed me. He had blisters on his feet. As I made the turn onto the last 1.1 miles, I passed two girls with their pacers-walking. I knew that they would not challenge me, but it didn't matter, I was going to run anyway. I ran all the hills, only briefly walking since I was not able to see if the hill I was on kept going around the corner. People said I looked strong and to keep going. I said that I was probably going to puke when I finished. I didn't care. One should always finish strong unless something is seriously wrong. Finally, I crossed the road and ran the last of the undulating trail to the sounds of the finsh. I saw Ken and his parents and handed him my waist pack. I pulled my pigtails to the front and sprinted across the finish line with a roar. I was so, so happy to be done! And then I completely stopped. A volunteer took off my transponder. I sat for the first time in 25+ hours.

Ken and his parents came over and congratulated me. I asked Ken who are these people. They were very supportive and finally had a chance to experience a 100 mile race. We enjoyed my belt buckle. I devoured some watermelon and took salt. We slowly removed my shoes and except for swelling, they looked marvelous. I had some whiteness on the bottom of my big left toe but no blisters. What was really bothering me was my left quad. It tightened up immediately and I had trouble putting weight on it. I couldn't bend that knee without aggravating it. It was clearly swollen and very tender to the touch. His parents left and I changed into some clean clothes and flip flops somehow. I congratulated others and saw Gunhild finish. I was ready to go. I didn't bother to stick around and wait for my drop bag. They could donate my stuff. I grabbed some more watermelon and a burger. It was hard to believe it was only 7:30am. It felt like 5pm. Ken was able to get some sleep in the back of his parent's truck in between my loops, so he was doing okay. We headed home, which was only about 40 minutes to his parent's place. We stopped at Starbucks for coffee and sandwiches and lo and behold, there were his parents. When we got back, I iced my quad and took some ibuprofen. I dont' like to take it during a race. I showered and rested Ken got me 2 In-and-Out burgers and fries for lunch. My quad was slowly getting better with more icing. Karen and George arrived in Phoenix and came over for margaritas before we went out for Mexican food. I was fading fast and my nausea was preventing me from finishing my dinner. We came back and I finally went to sleep.

Ken got up early to go fly model airplanes with his dad. I slept in. He met up with Karen and George at 10am to go climbing and invited me along. I was still feeling nauseated and tired so I passed. This apparently was a smart choice because the approach to the climbing area was difficult. I slept some more and ate little meals throughout the morning. I did go with Ken, Karen, George, and Ken's dad for the trip on Tuesday. We hiked in 3+ miles to get to the climbing area and scrambled to the bases of the climbs. My feet were still swollen and I was still having a difficult time controlling my body temperature, so I did not climb. Ken's dad took lots of pictures of them climbing and of the surroundings. Photography is one of his hobbies. They were able to get in 4 solid and long climbs and had a great time. That night, Ken's mom fixed us a feast with spaghetti, salad, bread, fruit, and desert. Ken and I really appreciated their hospitality, taking us to and from the airport, driving us all around, and letting us use their trailer and truck.Ken, Karen, and George climb one more day on Wednesday before we headed back to Maple Valley Wed night. They headed to Sedona that night and were planning on three days of running at the Grand Canyon. Sounds like fun!

Here are some more notable results:Jamie Donaldson, in addition to setting a new female CR, finished 2nd overall and only 34 minutes behind 1st male. Second female was 2 hrs 45 minutes later.

F20-29, 8 starters, 1 finisher, the gal I ran with in the first loop Melissa Williams in 22:36:32. She finished as I was finishing my 6th loop.

There might have been more 1st 100 milers above. I just knew of those ones. I'm so proud of everyone. I never felt competitive at this race. It was just great seeing all these tough gals. I didn't worry about, oh, I don't want so and so to finish before me because they are older or this is their first 100. We all suffered together and celebrated together.

No more 100 milers for me for a while. I do have a quad Thanksgiving weekend. That should be okay since I can run in the morning and rest in the afternoon, sleep in my own bed. What really wears me out these days is staying up all night running and most likely not being able to fuel enough. I know that I was running on fumes for a long time at Javelina.

Monday, August 30, 2010

This was my 4th finish at the Cascade Crest Classic 100. I'll be shooting for my 5th finish next year, which gets you a silver buckle! I decided I didn't want to stress myself out too much with trying to place or finish in a certain time. Besides, I went into this race feeling the least trained for any 100 miler I had ever signed up for. I actually felt in great shape for Western, but there were some aspects of it that I had no control over that I thought affected my finishing time, such as no heat training due to our late summer start here in WA state, lots of snow on the course, and no altitude training. Then I started a new job where I went from working 4 days a week to 5. That combined with longer days, a busier call schedule, and simply the stress of it all brought my training down to the bare minimum. Many assume that I must run 60+ miles a week to be able to do these 100 milers. But the truth is that some weeks I don't even have time to run on the weekdays and my average weekly mileage if I don't have a race that week is more like 30 miles. Somehow, though, I've been running ultras so long that I think it would take months for my fitness to leave. What I have notice over the past 2 years, however, is that my finishing times have declined. This was punctuated by my recent dismal performance at White River 50 mile where I ran a personal worst of 11:39. I didn't think I could run slower than my 2009 White River of 11:07 but apparently anything is possible. So I started CCC feeling the least fit I have ever felt for a 100 miler. I decided to change my attitude to just have fun since I know how amazing the course is. Little did I know that it was this attitude that helped me run a PR for this course by 22 minutes! My previous CCC times were 26:22, 26:48, and 26:40. I really did not think that I would ever be able to break the 26 hour barrier.

I have learned that taking the day off from work before a 100 mile race is critical for me to have a decent run. However, since I was the newest orthopedic physician assistant at Valley, I was also lowest on the totem pole. Two other PAs had already requested that Friday off, and no more were allowed. So I worked a full day before the race and as expected, felt poorly rested. Also, in my job, it's not as easy to stay well hydrated. I'm often in surgery and I don't want to worry about needing to use the bathroom constantly. The week before CCC and White River (where I had severe muscle cramps at mile 18), I noticed my calf muscles were twitching. I would try to hydrate as much as I could the night before with balancing having to get up all night to pee. Then I would hydrate a lot the morning of the race. Well, I did have cramping issues at CCC. More on that later.

The weather forecast for the weekend was looking very good. Mid-60s and no rain forecasted. Ken (my hubby and the best guy in the world) has crewed me at all my CCC races and nearly all my 100 or 150 mile races (17 total now). But this year, we did something different. Instead of having the weekend all about me, we decided that he needed to have fun too. So he dropped me off at the start at Easton at 8am (race started at 10) and headed out to meet his climbing buddies. They went climbing in an area off one of the forest roads we were going to run up later near Keechelus Ridge. He would be back to crew me from Stampede Pass aid station (mile 33) until the end. He said it worked out great since there was less waiting around in the beginning, and in truth, I really didn't need him at the earlier aid stations.

We had the usual race pancake breakfast together before he left and then I just hung out talking to all the other runners and crew. My race number was 100. I didn't request this number and it didn't have any special meaning. It just happened to fall on my slot in the alphabet. But OMG! It was an omen or something. I knew I had to live up to it-at least finish. Jess Mullen (my pacer) showed up to watch everyone start and wish me luck before heading home to rest so that she would be ready for her pacing duties starting at Hyak, about 53 miles (I expected to get there around 10:30 to 11pm). She said she even got back in her pajamas to pretend she was resting. She had just raced Where's Waldo 100K the weekend before but felt she was recovered enough to pace me. She ran a fine race there in just over 14 hours. The briefing was at 9am and Charlie Crissman, the RD, went over a few last minute details. Charlie runs 100 milers as well, so you know that he has your best interest in mind. First, we acknowlegded the assistance of the Easton Fire Department and Search and Rescue. He also gave thanks to all the volunteers. Then he warned us to be careful in the stretch after Ollalie (mile 47) since the tunnel was still closed and we would have to run down the Snoqualmie ski slope. Apparently, last year, he sent us down the double black diamond route, and a few runners then had some harsh words about the dangerous nature of the re-route. This year, since the tunnel was still closed, we'd be running down a "blue" slope. He said that although we had more climbing added for this section, the views from the top were spectacular. He also admitted that most of us would be running this in the dark. That got a few laughs. All the runners know that we voluntarily sign up for these races, so we should know that these events are very challenging and not complain. He also warned us that it would be cold at night so we should leave extra clothing in our drop bags if we had not already done so.

The Canadian anthem was played on some speakers but Ben Blessing brought his tuba (?) and played the American anthem. A minute later, we lined up under the amazing banner that Daniel Probst built (it had the symbol of CCC of three large trees at the top of a wooden structure with super large feet at the bases to keep it from blowing over from the ever present wind that goes through Easton). Daniel was going for his 5th finish. I think someone said go. Next thing I know, I'm running. I had lined up in the back, determined not to start out too fast. I ran along with Tony Covarrubias in the first stretch. We were going at a comfortable pace, but even then I found myself running someone else's pace. I let him go when we hit a small hill. I slowed to a power hike. There was an area that had been bulldozed over in that first 3.8 miles that slowed everyone down. I arrived at the first aid station in 45 minutes, 5 minutes slower than in the last 3 years. But I was okay with that. The splits listed on the webcast at this point were all wrong. I was way in the back, more like the 90th person, but it showed me mid-pack. I let several runners go ahead of me before turning up the trail to Goat Peak, since I wanted to take my time. This climb in my experience and listening to other's experience is what makes or breaks the rest of your race. It is a persistent climb with plenty of switchbacks, and done in the heat of the day only saps your energy earlier, even on a cooler day like this year. My muscle twitches the night before were a warning that my legss would not be able to move fast, but I didn't expect it to be a problem so early in the race. By 6 miles, my legs were very tight and on the verge of cramping even though I was drinking plenty, had taken 3 salt tablets already, and had 3 GUs. (Shawna Wilskey said I should take magnesium pills for the cramping, which I have started.) Thus I slowed even further and was in 96th position of 115 starters by the time I reached the Cole Butte aid station at 10.8 miles. I was already 16 minutes behind my slowest previous arrival there. At least I didn't feel as crappy as last year when I had lots of back pain. I continued to eat, drink, and take my time. My patience would eventually pay off.

I started to catch other runners that I let pass me on the climb up to Goat Peak. I still kept my pace comfortable, so we went back and forth. I decided to push my pace after reaching Blowout aid station at 15 miles since I knew that some downhill on the PCT was coming (after a one mile climb). This would allow me to stretch out my legs. The climb up to Blowout and after it are not to be trifled with as well. I was drinking Nuun, eating GUs, taking Succeed tablets, and eating tator tots and beef jerky. The tator tots were great since by the time I got to eating them, they had broken up into smaller pieces that I just shoved in my mouth. I didn't even have to chew! And it didn't upset my stomach.

I was able to run when I wanted to (on the downhills, flats, and rolling), and power hiked strongly on the uphills. However, I still expected to finish well in the 26 hour range or even 27 hours since I had lost a lot of time at the start and if nothing else went wrong. Still, I had another problem arise. I had been dealing with pain and numbness going down my right arm for a couple weeks. It was accentuated on the run down to Tacoma Pass (mile 23), so much so that I had to place the shoulder strap of my hydration pack under my right armpit before attaching the clasps around my chest. I think the strap was pressing on my brachial plexus. Whatever the problem, my arm improved but the hydration pack was uncomfortable hanging mostly off my left side. I decided I needed to switch to a waist pack and hand held as soon as possible, but I wouldn't see Ken until Stampede Pass (mile 33). I had told him that I had a drop bag at Stampede Pass so he didn't need to bring my back pack with all the other supplies. I didn't get to switch until Ollalie. Also, on my way down to Tacoma Pass, one of my hair bands for my pigtails came off. I asked for a piece of duct tape there and braided the undone side on the climb out of Tacoma Pass and secured it with the tape. It held until the end and when I took it off at the finish, I didn't sever too many ends! My position improved dramatically by the time I got to Tacoma pass to 69th and I arrived in 5hr20min, 9 minutes slower than my previous worst. Four runners would have stopped at this point (one had dropped at Blowout). Oh, by the way, the section after the one mile climb out of Blowout to Tacoma Pass is some heavenly running. A lot of perfect downhill on the PCT! There is some climbing out of Tacoma Pass aid station with some runnable terrain to Snowshoe.

I blew by the Snowshoe aid station at mile 29 since I didn't need any supplies. More good running after this to Stampede pass, a mere 3-4 miles. I made there to greet Ken for the first time at 7hr44min, 14 minutes faster than last year but still 43 minutes slower than my PR in 2007 of 26hr22min. At any rate, I was slowly making up lost time without taxing myself. It's always nice to see Ken, even though my words and body language don't appear so. But for this race, I promised myself and silently to Ken that I would not be a nasty runner. I was there to have fun! Still, I needed to focus and get everything required for my journey to Ollalie, the next time I would see him, including a flashlight and back up head lamp. I also took an extra long sleeve shirt, thin shell, hat, and gloves in preparation for a cold night once the sun went down. I left Ken feeling good, and that is always reassuring for him. There is quite a bit of climbing in this next section but interrupted by runnable sections that allow you to make up some time.

I continued to pass people on the way to Meadow Mt (42mi). This stretch simply lasts forever and can be demoralizing if you are already starting to fade this early on. I felt good except I was starting to have the same problem I had at Western, which was my pinkie toes were jamming against the sides of my Montrail Vitesse shoes and starting to hurt from all the steep downhill running. At Western, I had to cut out holes for my pinkie toes to breathe and knew I needed to do the same thing here if I wanted to run pain-free downhill. I would ask Ken to locate a knife when I saw him at Ollalie with plans to cut holes in the shoes at Hyak. I arrived at Meadow Mt at 7:25pm and knew I had an hour left of light. Unfortunately, a lot of the first part of the trail after Meadow is uphill and I didn't burn up much mileage before I had to whip out my hand held flashlight. This is a very technical trek and my toes kept getting worse. Tripping over rocks in the dark didn't help. Five more runners would eventually drop here at Meadow Mt at 42 miles.

I finally made it to Ollalie (47.7) and Ken by 9:21pm. Only one person dropped here, but probably because it would be wiser to drop at Hyak, race central. The only problem is that the next section after Ollalie is one of the hardest. I remembered to put on my shell, hat, and gloves before getting to the aid station since I knew I was going to get cold from stopping. I ditched my hydration pack and put on a waist pack, which was bouncy at first but became more comfortable over time. I had it until mile 95. I told Ken about my shoes and he would have his pocket knife ready for me at Hyak. Scott McCoubrey and crew were there-always every year. They filled my empty Ensure bottle with chicken soup and I took two freshly cooked perogies to go. These were really good! The first two times I ran this race, I was allowed a pacer from this point on but these last two years, you could only have a pacer if you left after 10pm. So alone in the dark I trotted to Hyak. Also, in my first 2 years, I ran in the Snoqualmie tunnel, but it has been closed with no repair in sight. It 's such a wonderful and unique trademark of CCC, having to descend down a roped section and then running on a slight upgrade in the tunnel for 2.4 miles before hitting the road section to Hyak. Last year, we ran a new route due to the closure and it was not well received by any runner. Most runners would do this part in the dark. It is much harder and more treacherous. Basically, you descend for a short while to a gravel road that takes you to the top of the ski pass. This year, there was a little more single track before road. Then you climb and climb to the top on poor footing road, seemingly endlessly. At least this year I knew what to expect. Next, you are sent down a ski slope. Charlie said that this year we would go down a tamer hill, but I thought it was just as scary. Just had to take it slow and pick your way down. Lots of yelps heard above me from tripping and maybe falling. Don't know for sure. Had to keep focused. So after that short but steep descent, the trail does what? Goes up again. Not steep long climbs, but energy sapping rolling hills. Totally runnable on fresh legs in the light but otherwise very tiring after 52 miles. I knew a stretch of paved road was coming and was totally looking forward to it (for once). It allowed me to not think so hard about where to put my feet and I came flying into Hyak at mile 53.

Ken, Jess, and Robert Lopez were there to help me. It took me 2 minutes less time to run that section than last year. I arrived at 11:07, so not much off my predicted time that I told Ken and Jess. I changed into some lightweight capris and a long sleeved shirt, concerned that I would get cold at night. Meanwhile, Ken puts a hole in each of my shoes. I put them on and yeah! My pinkie toes were free. I had one bottle with water in my waist pack and had them fill my hand held with soup. Grabbed some more beef jerky and tator tots. Jess and I left running on some more paved road. Every year, my goal is to run the 2 mile stretch of paved road before it turns into gravel, even with 2 hills. We passed a couple of runners with their pacers. I was feeling very strong and not cold at all. Soon, Jess and I shed our shells, hats, and gloves. In previous years, I had consumed Frappicinos throughout the race but the caffeine made me pee all the time and actually was time consuming and dehydrating. It took me a while to figure out that I needed to stop that. I still get caffeine, but only in my gels and I pee about once every 45 minutes-perfect. After the 2 miles of paved road, it is nearly 5 for miles up.

We make good time up to Keechelus Ridge (60.5mi) and had a chance to chat with Tony Covarrubias and Shawn McTaggart on the way. tc proposed to Shawn last year at the end of the race. They are married now. Shawn was pacing this year. They were also signed up for Plain 100 2 weeks after CCC. Plain is an unmarked 100 miler in WA with only one aid station about halfway. They seemed in good spirits except one of them had an upset stomach cause they asked for some Tums. Again, each section seemed to last forever, but we finally arrived at the aid station. We spent about a minute there getting more soup in my water bottle and moved on. I think it really helped that I didn't linger at the aid stations. My longer stops were with Ken, mostly for clothing change. I never sit unless I have to change shoes or something. You can really burn up some time sitting. Jess and I continued to stay warm-more like hot actually. Many people got really cold at night. I think because we were able to keep moving, we were able to stay warm. And I was able to keep moving because I was eating and drinking frequently. We were having a great time catching up on gossip, talking about other races, and our jobs. Jess has started a successful career as a Crossfit trainer and nutritionist.

Next was the 7 miles down to Kachess Lake aid station at 67.9mi. In my first year, I ran it in 1:12 and ended up having knee pain for the Trail from Hell section. So the next 2 years, I backed off on the pace quite a bit. This year, I ran comfortably. I didn't bomb down it but we moved along well. I completed this year in 1:16. Not bad. Jess' headlamp was pretty powerful and that combined with the moonlight allowed me to run these gravel road sections without a light. This was nice since I didn't have to hold my handheld. We passed a few more runners along this stretch, including some walking on the downhill and very bundled up. We arrived at Kachess. I wasn't expecting Ken to be there but he came thinking that Jess and I were getting really cold. On the contrary, we were looking to drop some clothes. Tracey Nguyen, a running buddy of mine and also Damien Murphy (who will be pacing me at Pine to Palm three weeks after Cascade) were there helping out. I got more broth and both Jess and I grabbed freshly grilled cheese sandwiches. It was really quite good. Kissed Ken goodbye and said I'd seem in about 3 hours.

I pulled out my handheld light for this next section-the Trail from Hell. This 6-mile section always takes over 2 hours. Last year someone counted 91 trees we had to hump over. But it seemed to be in better shape than in previous years. Big logs had foot placements carved into them. The creek crossings were easier to get over. A trail that had washed away had been restored. But Jess and I were really heating up in this section. We let a group of 5 guys pass after the first creek crossing to take off hats and gloves. We pretty much ran the entire trail alone-never passed anyone, and no one passed us. We arrived at Mineral Creek and found a pleasant surprise that there was a rock path across. Again, I didn't spend any time at the aid station other than to get rid of trash. It took 2:22 just to do this 6 mile Trail from Hell section. My fastest split was 2:21.

Ken was waiting for me up the road in 2.5 miles. Last year, it was light well before we got to Ken. This year, we arrived a little past 5:30am, and it was just starting to get light. That was a nice surprise. Ken had hot butternut squash soup for us. He also was FREEZING! What a guy! We ditched our lights and any extra clothing that we didn't need. Ken was relieved to see I was still feeling strong. I kissed him bye again and told him to get some rest. It would be a while before I got to Silver Creek. No splits were available from this point on. All I know is that I was in 38th place at Mineral Creek and finished in 30th.

Jess and I power hiked up to No Name Ridge aid station where James Varner, Laura Houston, Francesca Carmichael, Roger, and Maylon were dishing out cheese quesadillas and chocoloate chip pancake. At the time, nothing sounded appetizing but they do now! Again, little time spent there. The next section has some very runnable spots and some very steep climbs. But we made good time to Thorpe Mt. where the same dedicated volunteers return each year, hiking in supplies. Jess and I dropped our packs for the 1/2 mile hike up to retrieve a card showing we made it to the top. No views this year. The valley below was clouded in. Runners were bundled up but Jess and I ascended and descended in our short sleeve shirts. As usual, we saw Glen Tachiyama near the top totally frozen taking pictures of all the runners. It's always nice to see him. I'd almost feel lost if he was not there. He usually is up at Goat Peak at the beginning too but not this year. He had back surgery in April and had to back off on a few checkpoints. I usually try to look like I'm running well when Glen takes my picture, but he seems to always situate himself at tough parts of the course, so all I can do is smile.

As we get to the bottom of Thorpe, we see a girl heading up. She looks so fresh. I fear that she will catch us. So I pick it up as much as I can in the next section, which is not easy since this is the Cardiac Needles, a series of 3 very steep climbs 86 miles into the race. Plus, I am not able to run the downhills fast, braking too much but legs too tired to let it all go. I slip on a rock in this section and land good on my butt. I figure that if the girl behind is a good downhill runner, she'd catch me for sure. We still make it in good time to French Cabin but sure enough, just as we are leaving, the other girl comes into the aid station. I gave Jess a look that said, "I knew it!" But then we find out that she is just out on a training run. I don't know if I was happy or angry to hear that. People have every right to use the trails, but I was thinking I could've bonked trying to stay in front of her. I chose to think about it positively in that she pushed me to a stronger finish. I found out at this aid station that I was 6th woman, which is what I came in last year. I couldn't believe it. I was sure I was not going to crack the top ten with the stellar field this year. But I did know of three girls who had dropped: Devon Crosby-Helms, Alison Moore, and Kirsten Ramage.

We ran down then back up for our last big climb of the race. It felt great to top out. The next 6-7 miles are mostly downhill, flat, or rolling. There are shallow creek crossings. Last year I started to have trouble with my asthma and had to walk some of the flats. This year I felt okay because I took 2 puffs of my inhaler after No Name Ridge aid station and did this section better. We caught up and passed a couple guys. Brian Morrison was pacing Dan Paquette in his first 100. They tagged along with us with me in the lead. I usually don't like to have others behind me. It gives me a sense of urgency and I waste energy that way. But they reassured me that they were happy with the pace. Brian became a father 2 weeks prior to a new baby boy named Jack! Jess and Brian did all the talking as Dan and I just struggled to keep our breathing under control. We pulled ahead of them but they passed us when I had to make a pit stop. Jess and I were trying to calculate our timing to the last aid station. Was it possible that we would make it there by 11am? We soon realized that we had quite a ways to go. The last technical downhill to the Silver Creek aid station lasted longer than I remember (of course!). We arrived at 11:19. Jess said I only had a minute and we needed to get going. I left with only a hand held and gels. I had taken a GU right before the aid station since I knew I needed to run hard. In previous years, I had run this section in 53, 46, and 43 minutes. There was no way I was going to make it to the finish before 12pm or 26 hours. But I still knew I was going to PR.

The trail in this last section was hideous to begin with. There were these short dips and rises where every time my feet came down on the low spots, it was very jarring. But, I was determined to run this entire last section (except for the steep short hills). We passed Dan again. Then we caught up with a couple of guys that we had leap-frogged most of the 2nd half with. There was a third guy-a pacer. When they realized we were running and catching them, they started to run too. It was really dusty here, so this was unpleasant, but I pressed on. I wasn't trying to beat them. I didnt' care since they were guys, but I wanted to PR as much as possible. Eventually, they slowed to a walk again and we passed them. "Good jobs" were exchanged and we moved on. We then passed Grant Larsen, a younger guy age 20. He was really stiff and struggling. More encouragement as we passed. As soon as we hit the paved road and had about 2 more miles to go, I started to pick up the pace. But Jess said I needed to calm down and not drain myself. I had another GU and got back into a comfortable but strong pace. But boy was it hot on that road. I'm glad I had my hat. We looked back and saw those three guys running again. At this point, I didn't want to get passed back.

Finally, we saw the turn onto the train tracks and I started to run faster. I was really starting to feel my effort. I looked down at my watch, but Jess told me not to bother. It didn't matter anymore anyway. I was running as fast as I could. She was right. Besides, I had accidently stopped my watch earlier in the race so didn't know exactly how much time had elapsed. I had to go just on the time of day, but did we start before or after 10? I stumbled along the rough footing and large rocks along the train tracks. I could see the finish but it was not getting closer. Jess told me not to look up. Okay, pay attention to feet. We made the right turn over the train tracks and saw the clock. I was going to break 26 hours! NO WAY! I was estactic! Jess and I crossed the finish line together and I gave her a big hug. 25:59:04. I thought I would never break 26 hours.

Finish 100mi 25:59:04, 22 minutes FASTER than 2007. 30th place. Somewhere between Ken at mile 76.4 and the finish, I made up a chunk of time!

I have kept my splits from Hyak to the finish in the last 3 years. In 2007, my fastest overall time, it took me 14:05. In 2008, it took me 13:54. Last year, I improved the second half dramatically to 13:10. This year it was 12:52!

Charlie, RD, was there to welcome us in. I didn't hear anything that he was announcing but Ken said that he said something like, "Here comes Van, a fixture here in the NW ultras!" A fixture? Am I getting that old? Actually, he said the same thing about Tony Covarrubias. I guess we just keep coming back for more. The next two guys came in a minute after me and Grant 5 minutes. Dan finished 6 minutes behind me. I was finally able to sit. Ken took good care of me. I got rid of my shoes and washed off my feet. Usually, I'm nauseated, short of breath, and cramping. I had none of that. I took care of myself during the race for once so I could enjoy the finish. I was so glad to see everyone who stuck around to see me finish. Gwen Scott, a regular running partner of mine was 4th female in 24:36. Alison Moore was there to see her guy Owen Connell PR in 25:24. Unfortunately Alison had a rough time on the climb to Kecheelus ridge. I think her hip flexor was the problem. All I know is that she's one tough gal.

Ken was a sweetheart and went to get Jess and I hamburgers and fries. Jess requested a diet coke (c'mon, diet?) and he brought me back a vanilla shake. Actually, Jess treated and Ken went and got it. It's me who should be treating Jess. I got into some dry clean clothes and watched as other runners came in. I got to see four key people I was waiting for. First Sara Malcom finished her debut 100 miler in 27:26. She looked very strong coming in with the help of her pacer and super nice guy Steve Stoyles. Eric Barnes was there to take pictures of it all, including when I had come in. Sara gave her hubby a great big hug. Spouses are so key in these races, particularly totally supporting us. Next, tc came in after toughing it out in 28:38. Shawn was there to share his joy. He has run this race sub 24 I believe. Heidi Perry came hopping in estatically into the arms of beau John Pearch at 28:57. She had the biggest smile of all the runners that day. Her trusty pacer Kris Rydig will be at the Pine to Palm 100, another veteran 100 miler. Finally, Phil "Ransom" Sustar, came through in 29:04. He looked happy if not a little out of it. He traveled all the way from Atlanta to run this and had good local WA friends to support him all the way.

It was time to leave. Ken was good enough to let me stay and see most all my friends come in. I still had not felt the need to sleep. We got home, I had some ramen noodles then showered. Then we had leftover pizza, which was great heated up. Then we went to bed at 6:30pm. I had taken some ibuprofen and was able to sleep 12 hours. I didn't have asthma problems during the race but coughed up dust balls before falling asleep. My throat was raw. I had that Monday off and stayed loose by cleaning house all day. I was most stiff by Tuesday and had trouble with breathing Tues and Wed night. I felt I had a reactive airway problem, but it resolved by Thursday. I felt that I could run on Wed but had no time because of work. I felt pretty back to normal Thursday and felt great for a short run at Cougar Mt. on Sat. Unfortunately, it was raining hard and one of our runners had a calf cramp that cut our run short. It was just as well. I was not lacking miles for the week. Then I did a 21 mile run on Rattlesnake Ridge on Labor Day. I definitely was not fully recovered, but still ran strong and no harm done.

Next up-Pine to Palm 100. It is supposed to be just as tough or tougher than CCC. Oh dear!

Monday, July 5, 2010

To be frank, I have to say that I'm not very happy with this result. The people who finished after me or didn't finish at all would probably want to shoot me. Snobby beeeoch! But you know how it is. You set goals for yourself and when they don't happen, it's not hard to get disappointed. Of course, my first goal was to finish. I really never doubted that, but that's kind of bold considering I hadn't gotten any heat training. Maybe when I get my buckle in the mail, the world will be right again.

Ken, Mary Hanna (my pacer), Cliff (Ken's brother), and I left 5 o'dark in the morning Thursday (actually it was already a little light out). We drove all the way to Squaw Valley with bathroom and food stops. Cliff and Mary were sitting in the back each with their I-phones, which drove me nuts. But oh well, I'm old fashioned and not into gadgets. I just wanted to take them away from them like a mother would take away annoying toys.

The last stop we made was at In-N-Out burgers and Ken and Cliff had their first experience. Yum! We arrived at our condo at about 8:30pm, still a little light out. Everyone was stiff from being in the car, and Ken and I went for a little walk before retiring for the night. The condo is only a 1/4 mile walk to the check in and start of the race at the Olympic Village. The check in was from 9am-1pm Friday. I got there at 9:30 and there was a long line with a bunch of people already checked in. I guess most ultrarunners have OCD. The process was pretty involved. We were moved through like an assembly line. We got a bright yellow Mountain Hardware backpack, a fleece jacket, a tech shirt, Moeben arm sleeves, and a bunch other goodies. Next was the medical check. My blood pressure was good, but my pulse was 97. Okay, so I'm a little hummingbird. Maybe it was the altitude or nervousness as the lady who took it said. My weight was down, so I was dehydrated. I started downing the Nuun.

After check in and taking a few pictures, we went back to the condo. Mary, Cliff, and I went for an easy run. Friday was a pleasantly cool day, but we heard the hot temps were coming for the weekend, with Sunday being hotter. There was actually a paved path along the road and we ran that until it hit the main drag then turned around. We took a wrong turn back and ended up at the golf course. We started down the golf path and immediately heard, "Hey! You kids can't run there!" Yes we did ignore the sign that said golfers only. We told him that we were lost and just trying to get back to our condo, which we could see across the course. He directed us to a walking trail above the course and he was pretty nice about it. He must get runners going through all the time. It was a nice path and we ended up running a total of 4.5 miles. It felt good. We got back and toweled off before heading to the Olympic Village for lunch before the briefing. It looked like everyone else had the same idea.

The briefing was at 1:30 in the lawn area behind the village. It actually started to sprinkle and we were all looking at the skies. But it never got worse than spitting. The briefing was okay. It seemed to be geared more to those who are already have run the race. For newbies like me, I didn't learn anymore than what was already in the participant guide.

We headed back to the condo and I prepared my food-dim sum and perogies. We went out to sushi for dinner. I do well in races with sushi in me. Some ice cream for dessert and off to bed.

I slept pretty well. Got up and peed a couple to times-hydrated! Checked in-weight was back to normal. With clothes and shoes on and everything, my weight was 120. I kissed Ken goodbye, waved to Mary and Cliff and the clock counted down.

The temps were perfect at the start. We immediately started climbing out of Squaw Valley, starting at 6200' and heading up to Emigrant Pass at 8700'. And it was up and up and up for 3.5 miles. There was an aid station at 3 miles. The next aid station would be 10 more miles. I loaded up on fluids and headed up onto the snow. There was quite a bit of snow, even on this year where we were on the "snow route," which was supposed to be lower than the usual route. But I talked to Catra Corbett after the race. She's run the race before and said there was a lot more snow than usual, making the first part of the race before Robinson Flat a lot harder. I couldn't have agreed more.

I caught up with Francis Agboton, another WA runner. We slipped and slided all over the snow. Everyone was passing us. Next thing we know, Gordy Ansleigh (the first person to run the course and now 63) passes us romping down the snow. We did hit some no snow trails and were able to catch up with the others, but I was also getting better at running in the snow. There was plenty of getting our feet wet on trails that were basically a small creek. Everytime we thought we were done with snow, there was more. We got to mile 13 aid station at Talbot Creek. I saw Ed Cacciapaglia there. Super nice guy. I met him the day before and he raved about how he was DFL at Bighorn. He wanted to give me a hug at the aid station but after seeing how sweaty he was, I told him he was not allowed anywhere near me! Think Dick Decker :) We actually ended up hop-scotching throughout the race until Michigan Bluff, where I last saw him until the end.

Next was Poppy Trailhead aid station at 19 miles with about a mile of road before. This and Talbot creek aid station were not the usual. I had a drop bag here. I drank an Ensure. I moved on.

Next we were headed to Duncan Canyon. I couldn't remember much about this part of the race until Robinson Flat except that it was very exposed, very hot and quite a bit of climbing before getting to Robinson flat. I was getting quite tired by now and realizing it was going to take me nearly 7 hours to finish just under 30 miles. There was more snow to deal with on the way up to Robinson. The air was thin for me as well. I couldn't run the slight inclines that I normally could. I was worried that my crew had been waiting a long time. I'm glad they had each other to keep company.

I finally made it to Robinson at 6:52 and it was a zoo. Even though I could hear my name called out, I had a hard time picking out my crew. It was pretty overwhelming. I was weighed in first before my crew could help me and was at 118. Doing good on fluids. I had another Ensure and Ken put ice in a special bandana that could hold it. But I didn't end up liking it too much over the course of the day because it was thick and bulky and hard to tie around my neck. I was actually glad to rid of it by 62 miles. I tried to move through the aid station fast and gave Ken a quick kiss goodbye. This was not to be one of my better races in dealing with crew. I was not as perky as the my last CCC. I had run into more problems this race, which made me smile less.

I was irked to find that there was quite a bit of snow leaving Robinson. This added to my already longer time than desired and took me further away from the 24hr target I was dreaming about still. We did finally break out of the snow and ran down for a while on some switchbacks. It felt good to be running but I had to be careful not to push it too hard. It was still early. This downhill got us to Miller's defeat aid station at 34.4mi and 8:21. I ran into another WA runner there, Erik Swordmaker. He had ice on his quads. My quads were feeling pretty sore as well, but still worked.

More downhill running to Dusty Corners 38mi and 9:02. My weigh-ins were still good. 117 to 119. Before the race, I was dreading all the med checks, but actually found myself looking forward to my weigh-ins. It really helped me decide how much to keep hydrating. I was peeing about once an hour, which was perfect. Not too much, not too little. I didn't experience any stomach problems. Had gas from protein but no nausea. My breathing was fine, although, still I couldn't run the slight uphills, even if we had come down in altitude.

Some flat and downhill to Last Chance aid station at 43.8mi and 10:03. I had an Ensure there in my drop bag. A little boy came to help me. I asked him to dump out about a quarter and put ice in it for me. He came back looking scared. He accidentally dumped most of it out. He stuck a few pieces of ice in the bottle. I told him it was okay but inside I was thinking, "I have the big climb up Devil's thumb coming up!" I drank what little was left and took off. Just about this time, my feet were swelling and the sock combination that I started with was getting tight. I had a liner sock and a pair of Smartwool socks. My pinkie toes were jamming into my shoes. I had to start to adjust my foot plant because of the pain. I wasn't sure what I was going to do. There is a steep downhill to Deadwood canyon before the climb to Devil's thumb. My feet were hurting. I was still running down though. I heard a rattling in the bushes. I gave out a YELP! This was followed by 5-6 high knee hikes down the trail, painful on my feet but I didn't care. I slowed myself down after that adrenaline rush. Ed caught and passed me but he didn't hear any snakes when I asked him. He was out of sight soon.

I got down to Deadwood canyon and crossed the swinging bridge and sat down at the other side of the bridge (where I could see any snakes coming) and took off my liner socks. I heard the temps in the canyons got to 104. At least it was shaded. My feet felt better and the little rest helped me chug up Devil's thumb strong. I passed a lot of guys but no gals. I got to the Devil's thumb aid station at 47.8mi and 11:48 with good weight 118. I was feeling good. Got a popsicle and was on my way.

Unfortunately, my feet started hurting again on the 4 miles switchbacky down to El Dorado Canyon at 52.9mi and 13:04. Every slight misstep gave me sharp stabbing pain in one or both my pinkie toes. I knew I could not continue like this but also knew my other shoes had an even narrower toe box. I knew I was going to probably lose my pinkie nails. I had figured out a solution before I got to the the aid station.

"Does anyone have a sharp knife? I need to cut holes into my shoes." One aid station volunteer had a knife, but it was not so sharp. Fortunately, another had a sharper knife and a nice doctor cut the holes. I was going to put duct tape over the holes to keep dirt out, but it pushed on my toes too much so I went without. I noticed improvement right away and thanked all the volunteers. I figured I was going to blast up that hill like I had up Devil's thumb after the last foot adjustment rest. But crazy thing, I rested too long and my asthma kicked in. Ever notice, if you have asthma, that breathing is harder after stopping? So my first few strides up the hill and I was sucking air. And my breathing never got better. I took two puffs of albuterol, which helped a little. It took me forever to get up 2.5 miles. I was passed by several people. Just as the climb up Devil's thumb, the pace was so slow that mosquitos started feasting on my arms. Even after killing almost every insect that landed on me, the blood and carnage left on my arms did not deter their buddies. I was miserable when I got to Michigan Bluff 55.7mi and 14:22, which was the next time I saw my crew. So again, I was not in a great mood. My weight was unchanged. I grabbed more food and fluids but needed to get going. I saw a bunch of people that I had been running with all day still at the aid station when I left, like Ed and Rena Lantz, who was attempting her 10th finish or 1000 miles on this day.

My feet felt much better though and on the downhills, I could run. The ups I had to power hike, limited by my breathing. There was a creek crossing after the down and then a mile hike up to the Bath Road. I caught a few runners. It was starting to get dark when I hit the road, which was a climb up to the Foresthill road to the aid station at 62mi and 16:09-over 2 hrs over the 24hr finish pace. I knew my chances were definitely gone. If my breathing had been better, I might have been able to blast through that last 38 miles since it's my kind of running. There was about half a mile of running to the aid station after the climbon Bath road, which I did in the dark but the footing was fine.

My weight again was good. I needed to use the bathroom, but there were no porta-potties at the aid station. So I had to go all the way around the back of the school to go. Very out of the way. If I run it again, I would save it for the woods or go back at Michigan Bluff. Mary joined me at this point. I ditched my heavy bandana, changed my shirt, got my hand held light, back up headlamp in my pack, more food and Gu and headed out. I kissed Ken again and said I'd see him in a few hours. I knew I would finish, but when?

We headed down to California street and hit the trails down to the river. It was steep and technical to start before it became rolling. It was much easier when I did it on the training runs for sure. I passed quite a few people on the way to Rucky Chucky. I was able to run the down and hike the ups but the ups did wind me quite a bit. I tried to continue to eat solids, but Gu went down much easier and I would have just stuck with Gu but the calories didn't last very long and my teeth were getting sensitive. I brushed them back after Michigan Bluff and again after Mary joined me. I tried to eat grilled cheese sandwiches and my perogies. I was not into my dim sum anymore. Mary got her fall out of the way early and then was fine after that. She updated me on other runners. I kinda had wished I didn't run the training runs because I kept thinking that the aid station was just around the corner, but we were far away. I kept psyching myself out. It just became demoralizing. Somehow we got from one aid station to the next. Dardenelles (Cal 1) at 65.7 and Peachstone (Cal 2) at 70.7.

We were inching towards Rucky Chucky 78mi and 20:47. Weight still 117-119. I was so hot all day and did not cool off at night. I was so uncomfortably warm and there was only an occasional breeze. I was putting ice in my bandana and was constantly wet, causing severe chafing from my sports bra on one side. In the training run, it took me 3 hours to get from Foresthill to Rucky Chucky. It took me 4.5 hours during the race. I did get cold for the raft ride over the river and was the only time I put on my shell. It was quite fun. We put on life vests and enjoyed a couple minute ride courtesy of a very buff gal.

Next was the hike up the road to Green Gate 79.8mi and 21:33 and the last time I would see Ken and Cliff before the finish. The hike up didn't take as long as I expected. It was nice to see Ken but I was focused to keep moving and we didn't stay too long to chat. My feet were hurting too. I had developed more blisters. The holes in my shoes helped but they did still hurt. My quads were tight. My lungs burned. But we were making progress. I think I passed more people than people passing me. I was getting tired of the dark and although I wanted daylight to come, I knew that it meant I was taking longer to finish.

It seemed to take forever to get to Auburn Lakes aid station 85.2mi and 23:18 and more hill than I remembered. All I remembered were roller coaster super runnable trails. Finally we got to the aid station. My weight was 116.5. She cautioned me to drink, but I had just peed and I felt fine. I didn't trust that scale. Maybe my shoes had dried out some. We saw Francis sitting there. He had been sitting for 5 minutes but said that he had basically been walking from Foresthill to there-that's 23 miles! It seemed like every aid station that we came upon since Foresthill had a bunch of runners sitting or looking spent. I knew that I just had to avoid sitting. Francis joined us out of the aid station but he was really shuffling. Surprisingly, he shuffled fast and kept up with my so-called running. He eventually passed us. We did catch up to him again and he was shuffling slower.

We could hear the next aid station a mile before we got to it. Brown's Bar at 89.9mi and 24:43 was seen in daylight. They were very upbeat and had great potatoe soup. We each had a cup and I filled an Ensure bottle with more. Okay, 10 more miles. This included downhill then up before we got to Hwy 49 at 93.5 and 25:57. My weight was back to 118. I loaded up on fluids with no plans on stopping at No Hands bridge. A bunch of people came in around the same time, including Francis. I also saw a girl come in as I was leaving and booked it out there to keep a gap between us.

There was some more up before we ran down, down, down to No Hands. At about 95 miles, I had a nosebleed. I thought my nose was just running, but I wiped it and wiped it again before I realized it was blood. I shoved tissue up that nostril and ran with it for the next mile. I took it out before No Hands because I didn't want them to see it and hold me back. I just sniffed up what was still bleeding and swallowed it. It eventually stopped. But I must have been a pretty site for that mile.

We got to No Hands 96.8mi. I asked if there was a weigh in. They said no so I said to Mary, need anything? Let's just go. I chugged the last of my potatoe soup. The next 3.4 miles were not easy. It had a lot of up and there was only one creek crossing to keep us cool. I was getting really hot. I walked and ran as much as I could. There was one final climb up that I couldn't run. We passed more people. One of them was Amy Palmiero-Winters, who was attempting to be the first Amputee to finish the race. I passed her with a little over 2 miles to go. I was thinking and told Mary, "I don't want to be the girl who passed Amy in the end. I also don't want to be the girl after Amy." But I just wanted to be done. So I kept going. (She was passed by another girl, the one I saw coming into Hwy 49 as I was leaving.) We finally got to Robie Point and 1.3 more road miles to go at 98.9mi and 27:21. It was a long uphill before the down and still a hill after that! I got a cup of ice water and dumped it on me and took a swig. I pushed that last bit as much as I could.

Finally, I saw the turn into the high school stadium and ran as fast as I could that last 3/4 track. No one passed me, I didn't pass anyone. I thanked Mary and crossed the finish line in 27:39:26. Ken was yelling my name but I couldn't hear him. My final weight was 119, started at 120. I participated in a study and they took my blood pressure, pulse, and blood. My BP was 117/91 and pulse was 124. My sodium was 139, smack in the middle of normal. No signs of hyponatremia. I will be getting my CK or muscle enzyme result later. Curious to know what that is.

A bunch of WA runners finished within an hour of me before and after. I changed, drank, ate a little, and just basically wilted in the heat. I was so uncomfortable even in the shade as were my crew. We hung around watching others finish, including Rena Lantz for her 1000 miles and Ed. Ed gave me a big hug-he said not getting away now! The Awards ceremony was not to start until 12:30 or 1pm and when I heard that it lasted 3 hrs last year, I said we were outta there and my crew did not object. We packed up with everyone watching us leave but I didn't care. Remember, we only had one day of 75 before this so we were miserable. Everyone had something to eat but I needed more fuel. We stopped at the In-N-Out burger. It was packed! With non-runners! I got two, yes TWO burgers and fries and we hit the road.

Some other notes about the race. My back, which has been bothering me for over a year, did not hurt at all! I forgot to put sunscreen at the split of my hair on the top of my head for my pigtails and I ended up blistering there and getting a bad case of dandruff later in the week when it peeled off. I ended up passing 40 people from Foresthill (62mi), 5-6 of them were girls, and that did not include the drops. It did not appear I was passed by anyone from there from my compilation of the results.

It felt good being in an air conditioned car. Turns out it was 100 degrees at the high school and as we were driving north towards Ashland, OR, we hit temps of 110. It was much more pleasant by the time be got to Ashland in the early evening. We checked into a hotel, had mexican food and Margaritas, and then crashed. I actually slept fine.

We drove the rest of the way home Monday, stopping for breakfast in Roseburg. We got home about 5pm. Sleep was more restless for my work day the next day, where I struggled to stay awake. I recovered well enough to have a good run the following Saturday at Cougar but I have to say my quads have never taken so long to recover. The downhill at Cougar set my quad recovery back a day. As they say about Western, it's a downhill course except for the uphills! As I was running Western, I said to myself, I just need to do this once. But after two days, I was saying, "I could do that better." We all know how that is but all know too that that is not always the case. I returned to Bighorn thinking I couldn't do it any slower than the first time. It took me two more hours!

As I write this, today's temps reached 90 and tomorrow is expected to be over 95. Where was all this heat I needed for training?

Get dirty!

About Me

I live on 5 acres with my woodworking genius husband Ken Richards (kenrichardsfurniture.com) in Maple Valley, WA. I am a Physician Assistant in orthopedic surgery. I work to play. I started long distance running in marathons (lots of them). I now focus mainly on ultras. Running in the mountains on single track trails is what I enjoy most.